King Ranch Chicken Casserole

* Borrowed from my mother, Janet Cornwell, this casserole has become one of our favorite casseroles and can be served as a meal in itself or accompanied by yellow saffron rice.  Enjoy!

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 2  cups  chopped cooked chicken
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1  (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
• 1  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 12  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.
Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.
Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.